Sleeve-type carriers conventionally are manufactured from an elongated blank having a side panel section at one end and either the bottom panel section or the top panel section at the other end. The blank is formed into a flattened tube by folding the end sections in and adhering them to each other by a glue flap on one of the end sections. This flattened tube, or collapsed carrier as it is sometimes called, is then shipped to a packaging plant where it is erected into tube shape, filled with the articles being packaged and closed in at its ends.
A handle in the form of openings in the top panel conventionally is provided to enable the carrier to be more easily lifted. If the carrier load is relatively light, such as, for example, when packaging six beverage bottles, the handle openings may take the form of finger holes spaced apart along the length of the carrier. If the load is relatively great, as in a carrier for packaging twelve or more beverage bottles, the handle openings are typically elongated hand openings spaced apart across the width of the carrier. When the carrier is lifted, the strap-like portion of the top panel between the hand openings is subjected to a great deal of stress and can be in danger of tearing if it is not of suitable strength.
Various designs have been proposed to strengthen the handle area, primarily by making it of greater thickness than the rest of the top panel. One way of accomplishing this has been to overlap the end portions of top panel flaps to provide a multi-ply thickness between the handle openings. In a carrier where the top panel is not formed of flaps but is a continuous section of the carrier blank, reinforcement has been achieved by adhering strips of material to the area between the handle openings prior to fabricating the carrier. This is not a desirable method, however, as it slows the carrier fabrication process and increases the cost of the carrier.
A separate and different problem encountered, especially in the packaging of beverage bottles where at least the end panels of the carrier are inwardly tapered toward the top panel, is the difficulty in folding the end panel flaps against the bottles to make a tight package. In particular, difficulties are encountered in maintaining the upper tapered portion of the end panel dust flaps in contact with the bottles while at the same time folding the upper end flaps down against the dust flaps. If the upper end flaps are glued to dust flaps which have not been moved inwardly as far as they should have been, a loose package can result in which the end bottles are not held at their necks as tightly as desired. The lower portions of the dust flaps normally do not have such a problem since they immediately contact the substantially vertical body portion of the end bottles upon being folded into place.
It would be highly desirable to be able to reinforce the handle area of a sleeve-type carrier in a manner which is effective yet economical. It would also be desirable to be able to assure a tight fit between packaged bottles and the end panels of a carrier. It is an object of the invention to provide a carrier which achieves both goals.